1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a fuel additive. More specifically, the invention relates to a polymer useful as a fuel additive, and a method of making and using the same.
2. Brief Description of Related Technology
Numerous fuel additives are available for gasoline and diesel fuels. Currently, different fuel additives are required to enhance different properties of a given fuel and/or to address environmental concerns such as emissions reduction, fuel efficiency, water contamination, and engine degradation. With the advent of oxygenated fuels, alternative fuels, and engineered fuels, different fuel additives must be developed to account for the various characteristics inherent in these new fuels. However, there is no one single fuel additive currently designed to address multiple performance and regulatory issues simultaneously in a cost effective manner.
Conventional fuel additives for use with gasoline and diesel fuels are designed to behave as a detergent, a surfactant, or a lubricating agent. Because of their design, such fuel additives have a limited range of application. Furthermore, larger quantities and a large variety of additives are necessary to enhance multiple properties of a given fuel.
Conventional additives using surfactants or detergents are directed to enhancing emulsification or dispersion characteristics of a fuel. Although the use of surface active agents in conventional gasoline and diesel fuel is useful when, for example, it is necessary or desirable to improve the interaction between polar and non-polar media such as between oil and water or oil and a solid, the use of surface active agents in an oxygenated fuel, an alternative fuel and an engineered fuel has been limited due to instability problems inherent in combining surface active agents with such fuels. Furthermore, the use of fuel additives in such fuel systems has been limited due to economic constraints and due to lack of regulatory and/or commercial incentives.
Exposure to moisture and water during production, transportation, distribution, and storage results in water contamination of hydrocarbon fuels. The presence of three percent or more water in the fuel storage system and at the pump is common. The water is not miscible with hydrocarbon and is only slightly soluble in alcohol. The presence of water as a separate layer and its entry into the fuel injection system of an internal combustion engine results in erratic performance and emission characteristics. Furthermore, exposure of water into the fuel delivery system and combustion chambers has been shown to result in corrosion of the entire fuel-utilization system reducing its operational life and/or performance. It would be desirable to have an additive that would solubilize any water or moisture present in the fuel into a homogeneous solution with consistent combustion characteristics.
In the distribution system of conventional gasoline and diesel, the water remains in the bottom of the storage tank due to density differences between the hydrocarbon fuel components and the water. Even when shipped through pipelines, any water or moisture present in the gasoline or diesel fuels separates out as a separate layer upon storage in settling tanks. However, with the advent of alternative, oxygenated, reformulated, and engineered fuels, a slight presence of water results in a phase separation of the fuel into two permanent layers severely restricting its distribution, storage, and use characteristics.
It would be desirable to provide a fuel additive that is capable of enhancing multiple performance characteristics of a given fuel. It would be desirable to have an additive that would solubilize any water or moisture present in the fuel into a homogeneous solution with consistent combustion characteristics. It would also be desirable to provide an additive capable of improving the combustion efficiency and emissions reduction characteristics of a fuel. Furthermore, it would be desirable to provide a method of making such a fuel additive based on the fuel composition to be enhanced.